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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2240, 12 July 1870, Page 2

Resident Magistrate’s Court.— There was a light day for business in the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day. The only cases were a claim put forward on behalf of the Industrial School for the maintenance of Ann Fraser, an inmate, the investigation of which was postponed to Thursday, and a charge of assault, in which neither party appeared. Export ok Gold.— -The quantity of gold exported from the Colony from July Ist 1869 to March 31st, 1870, was 4/56.732 ozs., valued at L 1,780,300. The qualities exported from the several places were—Auckland, 91,308 css. ; Nelson, 114,122 ozs.; Otago, 125,012 ozs. ; Marlborough, 548 ozs. ; Westland, 123,147 ozs. ; Southland, 2,595 ozs. Canterbury is set down as having exported none during the period mentioned. Stamp Duties.— The duties collected during the first nine months of the financial year 1869-70 from July 1, 1869, to March 31, 1870, amounted to follows—Auckland, L 14.355 7s 6d ; Taranaki, L5lO 13s ; Wellington, L 4885 6s 4d ; Hawkea Bay. L 1,278 Is 7d ; Nelson, L 2,958 13s 2d ; Marlborough. L 406 3s 3d ; Canterbury, L 7.319 3s Id ; Westland, L 3,166 6s 6d; Otago. Ll2 771 0s 9d ; Southland, LI 105 14s Id ; Chatham Islands, L2 6s 3d, Death op a Maori PrisoNEri. —One of the Maori prisoners, named Horanapero Hopu, who last year arrived at Dunedin gaol, under sentence of penal penal servitude

for tlireo yours for hit'll treason, died on Sunday ni"ht about half-post 10 o’clock in the hospital. He belonged to the Ngataruinui tribe, and suffered like manv of his comrades from chronic asthma when he came to the gaol, on account of which he some two months ago was removed from the gaol to the hospital, where the disease ended his life. The deceased was about twenty-live years of age, and professed the Wesleyan religion, (>n Sunday afternoon he was visited by a ii'amber of his nearest friends and relatives, who are confined in the gaol. Art Union of Glasgow.—The ;m----mial meCing of this union was held on Friday, Apr 1 15th. It was announced that each subscriber for the first year would receive a chromo lithograph of “ Loch Ard at Sunset,” a ter a painting by S. Bough. One of the principal ; Hz-s, “Bocli Awe—mist rising from the hills,” fell to the lot of Mr A P. Stuart, Wclli":.'tni. and Mi Griffon of this City bikes an engraving. “ Punch.” The euuraving for distribution this year is by Holt after Dobson, illua rating “What soever house ye cuter first say ‘ Peace be to this bouse ’ ” ' Die painting, with copyright, was pur based for L6OO, and will be the fir.-t prize for the next drawing. Messrs J. and ,T. H. Barr are the honorary secretaries at Dunedin. *

Scientific. —The Government have received the following tclcgr on “Taupo. July 5. Tongariro has boon in active operation for about two mouths ; rumbling, like distant thunder, is heard at short intervals, accompanied by very slight trembling of earth. During tbo day dense columns of black smoke are emitted, in puffs to a great height. At night, three Streams of fire have been seen descending the mountain side from the orator to a considerable distance. The prospect on a clear night is very grand. That which appears to bo smoke during the day is seen as a column of fire at night, lighting up the whole of the mountain. Part of tho mountain has fallen in.”

An Alligator Story.— Tim Mount Ida Chronicle is responsible fortho following; —On Friday week last, while a Frenchman named Gabriel Dubois, well known at Waikouaiti, accompanied by William Brown, a Swede, were snooting clucks on Lite hanks of the Taicri Elver, between Dr. Buchanan’s station and Hamilton, a rout live aUUjnlrr was observed. It appears that Gabriel when he made the discovery was in the act of shooting a duck, and that at a distance of several yards from his cover, he first saw the alligator lying on the hank, with its lower jaw dropped or banging down. He immediately gave it the contents of his gun, which he had intended for smaller game, aiming for the eyes of the monster, which he describes as being full and of a red color resembling those of a bullock, and the teeth something enormous. On receiving the shot the animal gave utterance to a loud yell and rushed into the river. Our informant, who has seen alligators in Queensland rivers, states that it must have been at least 10 or 11 feet in length. The animal must have been severely wounded—the spot where it rushed into the. river being colored with blood. Our informant speaks so positively as to the truth of the above statement that we give it insertion, even though it appears to border on the marvellous. Nevertheless, we do not hold ourselves responsible for its veracity.

Flax.—At the instance of the Canterbury Flax Association, the Premier has directed the Home Commissioners to collect all the information they can in England respecting the manufacture of the Phornuum tennj'., and particularly on the following points : —“ 1. What objections are made to the article as at present offered in the market. 2. In what particulars it can bo improved. 3. For what purposes and by whom it has been tested by actual use or otherwise. 4. Has any of it found its way into foreign markets, and if so, with what result, and generally any other information. ” The Commissioners are also directed, that if they Hud any of the defects attributed to it are removable by chemical or mechanical proceeds, to take steps to bring it under the notice of distinguished practical chemists and machinists ; for which purpose they are authorised to incur a moderate outlay. At a recent meeting of the Association the following resolutions were carried-—“ That theGencal Government be requested to take into consideration the desirability of instruct iug the Commissioners to return to the Colony via America, and to ascertain during their stay in the States*how far it is practicable to open up a trade in flax and wool with that country.” “That one tonof the best ordinarily dressed flax, and half a ton of steamed flax, be sent to the respective Admiralties of England, France, and America, with tho request that the same may bo tested and reported on.” The Mayoralty, —Mr 11. S. Fish, junr., addressed a crowded meeting of the electors at the Masonic Hall last evening ; Mr J. Hughes, M.P.0., occupied the chair.\ The candidate referred at considerable length to the part ho had taken in the gas agitation, aud maintained that he acted conrfitently in advocating the purchaf® of the Company’s Works ; by which, bad it been carried out, the ratepayers would in all probability have hern 7 '.lying 3d in the £ loss rates at the present time. 'The charge made that that advocacy on the part of himself and certain other councillors was caused by their having been bought over, was a downright and malicious falsehood ; and was probably made by men who wished to further their own ends. What he had originally gone in for was a reduction in the price of gas ; and they had succeeded in getting it, for the result of tho agitation had been that a saving had boon effected at the rate of 5s per thousand fe-t. and LI,OOO had been saved to the City, '•ffil! he was of opinion that the supply of gas as well as of wa f > r ought to be strictly in tho hands qr, at all eveuta, under the control of Hie Corporation iHe explained that ho would nt have come forward had Mr Birch stood, but that g> ntlcman having declared he would not stand, he felt himself at perfect liheHy to do so Ho was inclined to support the proposal for a loan of L 4.000 for repai ing the would advocate underground drainage, and a' thorough system of kerbing and channelling throughout the City. After a number of questions had been amvered to the evident satisfaction of the meeting, the usual vote of confidence in the candidate was moved by Mr Rowers, and carried with acclamation.

Ti ma.ru. —At the last monthly meeting of i he Timaru Board of Works, the following tenders for the erection of the Bansritata bridge were opened : —Pearce and Walkem (Dunedin), L 13,000; Hunter and Goodfellow, LI 1,987 ; Walter Bell, Invercargill, L 11,300 ; Connor and Mackay (Port

Chalmers) L 10.282 16s; Geo. Proudfoot (Dunedin) 1,9984 4s; Smith and Bush (Timaru) L 9.465 6s. All the tenders were above the engineer's estimate. There were eleven candidates for the office of engineer, three being resident in Dunedin. Mr G. M. Babington, a resident in the district, was elected—On the Sth inst, a number of tlemen met at the stores of Messrs. G. G. Russell and Co. for the purpose of tasting some tinned meat, pres Tved by the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company at their establishment in Southland, near Invercargill. Two tins were opened, one of mutton, and another of tongue. The contents were not only good, but they were really appetising, and tlie mutton showed a feature not usually seen in tinned meat, by its containing a quantify of clear a d most delicious jelly. The Company’s works at Invercargill have been in operation about eicbt weeks, and during that time they have turned out about fifty tons of preserved meat of exactly similar quality.

Mining Notes. —The following items are taken from the Dunstnn Times : —On Sunday last Mr M'Pherson crossed at his punt, at Rocky Point, the long-expected machinery for the Cro nwell Company 7. It is now at the wheel, and all hands are busily engaged in erecting it. There will doubtless soon be some extensive crushings, and wo may expect shortly to hear of some large cakes of gold. The Golden Dink arc now on the best stono that they have struck yet, and are busily engaged raising it. The late heavy rains caused much damage to the road between Logantowu and Wakefield, but it is now undergoing repair. From its appearance it must have been a complete watercourse. The arrival of the machinery will give an impetus to mining matters, which have languished of late, partly from the dread of winter causing many to register their claims. The coming spring will test the resources of the reefs, and there is little doubt but that many more valuable claims will be opened and a tide of permanent prosperity once more flow into the place. Good news is to hand from the Bendigo reefs. A. trial crushing of some five tons of stone from the Alta claim took place at the Aurora battery during the past week with most satisfactory results. Wc are not aware of the exact quantity of gold obtain- d, but we are informed that the shareholders were so well satisfied that they at once entered into arrangements for the erection of a battery of ten stamps. The reef from which the stone was taken is eight feet thick, with every indication of maintaining that tbicknf.Sß._\Ve (Oamnrn- Times) arc informed by Mr Glo son that a quartz reef has been discovered on his property 7 , Hillgrove, Mor raid. A specimen now before us was obtain’d about 7 feet below the surface of the ground, and contains cold, the presence of the precious imtal being demonstrated by chemical tests, and minute particles beingvisible under the micro-cope. The quartz is of a peculiarly transparent nature, and differs very much from any wo have before seen. Mr Gleeson states that the stone is as promising as any found on the Thames We may here mention that sometime ago a large quantity of alluvial gold was found in the neighborhood of the reef now discovered, and it is presumed that the latter is the original source from which it had been removed by tluviatile or other action.

The battalion parade ordered for this evening is postponed till Thursday. The letters of the President of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society and E. N. K. will appear to-morrow. . A soiree in connection with the Roalyn Mutual Improvement Society will take place to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, at half-past six, in the Koslyn Hall.

The half-yearly summoned meeting of the A.O.F. Court Pride of the Leith, No. 3902, will be held in the court room to-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock sharp.